BAM Hires Philip Moos to Join Its Muni Capital Markets Team
BAM Mutual announced the hiring of Philip Moos, a 30‑year municipal sales veteran from Wells Fargo, to bolster its municipal capital markets team. Moos will report to Bryan Baebler and focus on expanding BAM’s secondary‑market insurance business with institutional investors. The insurer currently underwrites $3 billion in par across 293 issuer‑members, reflecting steady growth in secondary insurance usage. Moos’s expertise is expected to accelerate that trajectory as credit markets become more volatile.
India Is Conducting Exercise for Mapping Import Reliance
India’s Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has launched an exercise to map import reliance by cataloguing goods that lack domestic manufacturing across all ministries. The initiative will compile five‑year public procurement data, targeting the $650 billion import...
Addus Re-Ignites Hospice Acquisition Engine
Addus Homecare reported a 33.3% year‑over‑year rise in adjusted EBITDA to $50.3 million in Q4 2025, driven by a 25.6% jump in total service revenue to $373.1 million. Hospice services generated roughly $70 million, representing 18.8% of quarterly revenue, with daily census climbing...
Government Allows Export of 25 Lakh Tonnes of Wheat
The Indian government has approved a limited export of 25 lakh metric tonnes of wheat and an additional five lakh tonnes of wheat products, despite the overall export ban remaining in force. The decision, taken in January and notified by...
Pertamina, Halliburton Target Unconventional Fracturing Expansion in Indonesia
Indonesia’s state oil company Pertamina and U.S. service firm Halliburton have signed an MOU to develop unconventional well construction and stimulation across onshore fields. The partnership will evaluate multi‑stage hydraulic fracturing, acid stimulation, advanced cementing and AI‑driven automation to improve...
Shale Giant Diamondback Says Global Oil Glut Fears Are Fading
Diamondback Energy says fears of a global oil glut are receding as resilient demand steadies the market. Recent price action shows U.S. crude futures up more than 15% year‑to‑date, erasing most of 2025’s 20% loss. The company will keep output...
ORLEN Builds 25-MMboe North Sea Portfolio in Ekofisk Area
Polish oil major ORLEN has bolstered its North Sea presence by acquiring a 7.6% interest in the Albuskjell and Vest Ekofisk fields, bringing its total stake in the Tommeliten Gamma field to 62.61%. The three assets, developed under the Previously Produced Fields...
App Spotlight: Plug&Play Currency Sync for Zoho CRM
Plug&Play Currency Sync for Zoho CRM now automates daily exchange‑rate updates, ensuring new deals, quotes and invoices use current rates while preserving historical values. The tool pulls rates overnight and allows up to two manual syncs per day, eliminating the...
Top Performing Leveraged/Inverse ETFs: 02/22/2026
Last week’s leveraged and inverse ETFs delivered standout returns, led by ProShares Ultra Silver (AGQ) with a 19.04% gain as silver rallied on heightened trade and geopolitical risk. Direxion’s South Korea Bull 3X (KORU) posted a 17.22% jump, fueled by...
Navigating the Unusual Twist in S&P 500 Factor Correlation
The S&P 500 is witnessing an atypical factor split in early 2026, with both high‑beta momentum (SPMO) and low‑volatility (SPLV) ETFs outperforming the broad benchmark. The momentum outperformance is driven by an AI‑focused earnings boom that has turned the index itself...
Are Drones the Key 2026 Tech Investing Trend?
2026 tech investors are urged to look beyond AI hyperscalers and consider drones as a diversified exposure to AI, robotics, defense, and commercial applications. VettaFi’s Rex Drones ETF (DRNZ), launched in October 2025, tracks a global index of drone manufacturers...
Five Years Later, Spotify Points to Strong Growth in Nigeria — Including a 164% YoY Listening Increase and 1.4 Billion+...
Spotify disclosed that Nigerian users logged over 1.4 billion listening hours in 2025, driving playlist creations past 25 million. The platform reports a 163% year‑over‑year increase in average listening since 2021 and a staggering 5,022% surge in Afrobeats consumption. Local artist presence...
TWIA Board Opts to only Buy Reinsurance and Cat Bonds up to 1-in-50 Year PML in 2026
At its Galveston meeting, the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) Board voted to purchase reinsurance and catastrophe bonds only up to the statutory 1‑in‑50 year probable maximum loss (PML) level for 2026. The revised funding target of $4.3051 billion translates to...
Hanley Investment Group Arranges $1.9 Million Sale of Ground Lease in Indianapolis
Hanley Investment Group Real Estate Advisors arranged the sale of a new single‑tenant ground lease for a McDonald’s restaurant at Southern Dunes Commons in Indianapolis for $1.9 million. The lease is a 20‑year absolute triple‑net agreement backed by McDonald’s corporate guarantee....
Spirit Airlines Is Betting on This Air-Travel Trend as It Prepares to Emerge From Bankruptcy
Spirit Airlines announced a deal with creditors that will allow it to exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy by late spring or early summer 2026. The restructuring will shrink the carrier’s balance sheet, cutting debt from $7.4 billion to about $2.1 billion, and will trim...
Med Gasoline Market Diverges From Northwest Europe
The Mediterranean gasoline market is diverging from northwest Europe as several key fluid catalytic cracker units undergo maintenance, notably Helleniq Energy’s Aspropyrgos refinery in Greece and Eni’s Milazzo refinery in Italy. With offshore capacity constrained, February‑March spreads have turned backwardated—a...
USD/JPY Price Forecast: Bullish Bias Builds Above 155.00 Support
USD/JPY rose to 155.70 on Tuesday, up 0.64% after hitting a daily high of 156.28. The move follows comments from Japan’s prime minister signaling caution on further BoJ rate hikes, which have kept yen pressure alive. Technically, the pair sits...
Japan’s Farm and Food Exports Hit New High As Trade Patterns Shift
Japan’s agricultural, forestry and fishery exports reached a record ¥1.7 trillion in 2025, up 12.8% year‑on‑year, marking the 13th consecutive record. Growth was driven by strong demand for scallops, green tea and sake, with the United States and China remaining the...
IYC: Now's Not The Time To Buy U.S. Consumer Discretionary Stocks
The iShares US Consumer Discretionary ETF (IYC) is a 26‑year‑old fund with a 0.38% expense ratio and $1.4 billion in assets. Historically it outperformed when earnings growth exceeded the market, but today its components show declining growth, weak earnings surprises, and...
Poland's Ferrous Scrap Exports Fall; Ukraine Imports Hit Record
Poland’s ferrous scrap exports to non‑EU markets slipped 8.6% in 2025, falling to 1.204 million tonnes after three years of growth. Shipments to India, Pakistan and Morocco dropped sharply, while volumes to Turkey rose 2.4% and exports to the United States...
Lualaba Showcased Cobalt Leadership and Sustainable Vision at Mining Indaba 2026
At Mining Indaba 2026 in Cape Town, Lualaba province positioned itself as the world’s leading cobalt producer, emphasizing its pivotal role in the energy transition. Governor Fifi Masuka Saini highlighted the region’s stable, investment‑friendly governance and alignment with international mining...
Home Depot Beats Q4 Expectations Even as Housing Market Remains Challenged
Home Depot reported fourth‑quarter sales of $38.2 billion, a 3.8% year‑over‑year decline, yet the results beat analyst expectations. Net income slipped 14.2% to $2.6 billion and operating income fell 14.4%, reflecting pressure from a sluggish housing market. Full‑year sales rose 3.2% to...
CPN Launches Major B7bn Expansion of Central Phuket
Central Pattana (CPN) is allocating 7 billion baht to expand its Central Phuket mixed‑use complex, boosting the gross building area from roughly 300,000 to 500,000 sq m and lifting total project value above 26 billion baht. The plan doubles the luxury zone, adds a...
The Late-Stage Bull Market Is a Buying Opportunity for Tech
Tech stocks have slipped as the NASDAQ fell 5% from its October peak, leaving the sector lagging the S&P 500. Analysts argue this reflects a late‑stage bull‑market phase rather than a cycle end, pointing to oversold conditions in names like Adobe,...
Motiva Announces US Group II Base Oil Posting Decrease
Motiva announced a $0.50 per US‑gallon reduction to its Group II, II+ and III base‑oil postings, effective 1 March. The cut could translate into contract price declines of 10‑15¢/USG for parties linked to Motiva’s postings or to basket indices, while blenders with...
Strong Demand for GSE-Eligible Loans in Non-Agency MBS
Investors are showing strong appetite for GSE‑eligible loans embedded in non‑agency mortgage‑backed securities, tightening spreads and lifting prices across the segment. The surge reflects limited agency supply and the premium investors assign to loans that meet Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac eligibility...
Bond ETF Bulls on Parade
In January 2026, fixed‑income ETFs attracted $56 billion of net inflows, pushing total inflows to over $105 billion across ETFs and mutual funds. Nearly half of the bond‑ETF money went into actively managed funds such as PIMCO’s PYLD and iShares BINC, while...
Short Takes: Home Prices Tick Up / Chase Offering Rate Discount / Bed Bath & Beyond Getting Into Mortgages /...
Home prices edged higher in the latest quarter, while Chase announced a modest rate discount to spur loan demand. Retail giant Bed Bath & Beyond entered the mortgage origination space, signaling non‑traditional players’ interest in housing finance. Bayview Capital began stocking GSE‑eligible loans...
Copper’s New Fundamental: How Fear Is Shaping the Market
The Fast Forward podcast revealed that fear has become a standalone market fundamental for copper, outweighing traditional supply‑demand metrics. Deglobalization is prompting nations to build strategic stockpiles such as the U.S. Project Vault and forcing firms to adopt just‑in‑case inventory...
The European Central Bank’s Next President May Decide the Fate of the Digital Euro
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde highlighted the digital euro as a core part of her legacy, noting its progress from research to a live policy effort. The project is now in a "preparation phase" with technical design and pilot...
UK to Remove Turkish HDG Quota Exemption
The UK Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) plans to strip Turkey of its developing‑economy exemption for hot‑dip galvanised (HDG) steel, moving Turkish shipments into the capped “other countries” quota. The move follows Tata Steel’s complaint that Turkish imports surged to 58,030 t...
DRC Mineral Export Prices Decline, Tin Records Steepest Weekly Drop
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s mineral export prices are set to fall in the week of Feb 23‑28, 2026, with tin posting the steepest decline to $48,089 per ton, a $1,667 drop from the prior week. Copper, gold, and zinc also...
Mexico’s Cartel Violence Could Hit Economy and Insurance Segment: AM Best
Cartel violence erupted in Mexico after the killing of leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, halting flights and disrupting tourism in Puerto Vallarta. Tourism, which contributes about 10% of Mexico’s GDP, faces short‑term setbacks and longer‑term perception risks. AM Best issued a negative...
#58419
The Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) announced that options on securities with trading halts or unresolved corporate actions have been removed from automatic‑exercise processing. This removal applies to all expirations—including standard, weekly, daily FLEX, and quarterly—affecting the Central Puerto S.A. AD...
SmarTone Reports Profit Amid High-End Market Focus
SmarTone posted an 8.4% rise in first‑half profit, with revenue climbing 2% to HK$3.56 billion, propelled by its premium 5G positioning and higher‑value device sales. 5G ARPU was twice that of 4G, while home broadband profit surged 36% and roaming revenue...
IMF Expects Godongwana to Maintain Budget Surplus Target of 1.5% of GDP
The IMF’s South Africa mission chief expects Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to keep the primary budget surplus at 1.5% of GDP and to embed the necessary fiscal reforms in the 2026 budget. The Fund highlighted controlling the public‑sector wage bill,...
Philex 2025 Income Climbs to P929.69M on Record Metal Prices
Philex Mining Corp posted a net income of P929.69 million in 2025, a 14.7% rise year‑over‑year, driven by record‑high gold and copper prices and a favorable peso exchange rate. Revenues climbed 8.2% to P8.85 billion, while core net income surged 43.6% to...
SEC Revises IPO Float Rules to Revive Listings
The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission issued Memorandum Circular No. 11, Series of 2026, revising public‑ownership requirements for IPOs. The new tiered framework reduces the minimum float to 33 percent for firms under P500 million and as low as 15 percent for companies above P50 billion, with a...
Why Cost Alone No Longer Defines Chicken Value
Rising food‑away‑from‑home prices and growing protein demand are reshaping how full‑service restaurants evaluate chicken. While private‑label chicken still promises lower case costs, operators are encountering variability that hurts labor efficiency and menu flexibility. Brakebush Brothers positions itself as a consistent,...
Boring Is Beautiful: Why Johnson & Johnson Is Beating the Tech Sector
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) is outperforming the broader market, climbing roughly 14% in the last 30 days and trading near its all‑time high of $245. The health‑care giant boasts a 64‑year streak of dividend growth, a low beta of 0.35,...
Bain’s MacArthur: 401(k) Opportunity Is ‘Major Inflection Point’ for Alternatives
Chair of Bain’s global private equity practice, Hugh MacArthur, says the growing ability for 401(k) participants to invest in private equity marks a major inflection point for the alternatives industry. He argues that retail access will set a new performance...
Kibali Breaks Revenue Record as Gold Prices Surge Despite Lower Output
Kibali gold mine posted record revenue of about $2.3 billion in 2025, a 40% jump from 2024, despite a 2% dip in gold output to roughly 673,000 ounces. Barrick’s 45% share generated $1.04 billion, while the mine’s contribution to group earnings rose...
National Bank of Hungary Review: The Rate Cut Has Arrived, but What’s Next?
After 16 months of steady rates, the National Bank of Hungary cut its key policy rate by 25 basis points to 6.25% in February, aligning with broad market expectations. The central bank’s forward guidance remains data‑driven and open‑ended, prompting ING...
America Needs More Than Creativity on Hong Kong – It Needs Action
The article argues that the United States must move beyond rhetoric and take concrete action against Hong Kong’s increasingly repressive regime. It highlights the political role of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (HKETOs) in the U.S., which enjoy diplomatic privileges despite...
First Street’s Jeremy Porter Urges Holistic Approach to Assessing Climate Risk Impact
Jeremy Porter, chief economist at First Street, highlighted the shift toward a holistic view of climate risk on the REIT Report podcast. He explained that physical climate threats now ripple through assets, suppliers, commodities, customers, and transportation networks, demanding integrated...
Takaichi Draws a Red Line on Nuclear Sharing Amid Japan’s Security Review
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi publicly rejected a NATO‑style nuclear‑sharing arrangement with the United States, reaffirming Japan's Three Non‑Nuclear Principles during a House of Representatives debate. Her statement comes amid a comprehensive review of Japan's National Security Strategy, Defense Strategy,...
Korea’s Demographic Crisis Has Come for Its Military
South Korea’s shrinking birthrate—down to 0.75 children per woman—has cut the pool of eligible male conscripts, driving a 20% drop in active‑duty troops from 560,000 in 2019 to 450,000 in 2025. The Defense Ministry projects the force could shrink to...
In Guinea, the US Has a Rare Opportunity to Gain an Edge over China
Guinea’s newly elected president Mamady Doumbouya hosted a high‑profile inauguration attended by U.S. officials and a Chinese envoy, underscoring the country’s strategic importance. With roughly a quarter of global bauxite reserves and emerging lithium, uranium and iron‑ore projects, Guinea sits...
Govt to Divest up to 4% Stake in IRFC via OFS Starting Wednesday, Sets Floor Price at Rs 104 per...
The Ministry of Railways has launched an offer‑for‑sale (OFS) to off‑load up to 4 % of Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) equity, equivalent to 26.13 crore shares, with a green‑shoe option for an additional equal tranche. The floor price is fixed at...
Could the Current Cold Snap Pummel the Eastern Housing Market?
A severe Arctic blast swept the Eastern United States in February, halting in‑person real‑estate transactions and delaying listings, contracts, and closings across major metros. Mortgage applications fell 8.9% that week, with purchase requests down 14%, despite a modest dip in...